Chris Cornell — whose powerful voice helped define the sound of grunge rock — has died at the age of 52.

Cornell was in Detroit at the time of his passing on Wednesday, on the first leg of a Soundgarden world tour.

In a statement published by CNN, Cornell's representative, Brian Bumbery, stated:

"His wife Vicky and family were shocked to learn of his sudden and unexpected passing, and they will be working closely with the medical examiner to determine the cause. They would like to thank his fans for their continuous love and loyalty and ask that their privacy be respected at this time."

A Seattle native, Cornell came to prominence in the grunge scene in the early '90s after forming Soundgarden in 1984. Following Soundgarden's initial breakup in 1997, Cornell formed Audioslave with former members of Rage Against the Machine in 2001. In addition these projects and mega hits like "Black Hole Sun," Cornell will be remembered for various collaborations including the band Temple of the Dog formed with Eddie Vedder and other Seattle grunge scene musicians.

This is a developing story and will be updated as more details are made available.

Update, 1:26 PM Central Time: The Associated Press reports that Cornell was found dead in his Detroit hotel room with "a band around his neck." The medical examiner has ruled it suicide by hanging.

SO SO stunned to hear about Chris Cornell! Such a terrible and sad loss! Thinking of his family tonight! RIP